Music: Devi Sri Prasad

Lyrics:Ramajogayya Sastry, Devi Sri Prasad

Superstar Mahesh Babu is all set for the first release of year 2015 with Kortala Siva’s Srimanthudu. After failures of 1: Nenokkadine and Aagadu, the onus is on Mahesh Babu to deliver a hit with Srimanthudu. And the first step towards making a successful film is good music. And this time around composer Devi Sri Prasad has come on board with the responsibility to deliver a hit album for Mahesh. Will DSP magic worked wonders for Mahesh Babu? Lets check the Srimanthudu music album and find out for ourselves.

Rama Rama

By taking the name of Lord Rama, the album kick starts with a fun energetic number setting the tone for the songs to follow. Rama Rama sung by Sooraj Santosh is highly likable number thanks to Devi Sri Prasad’s massy composition filled with folksy trumpets and rustic beats. The song opens incredibly with Sooraj’s catchy chanting voice, catching your attention instantly, post which he launches into the song with oodles of energy which transcends through his vocals. While DSP delivers what’s expected of him, Rama Rama actually belongs to Sooraj Santosh as he croons a perfect intro song for Mahesh Babu.

Jatha Kalise

DSP comes up with a sweet romantic number, which unfortunately misses the target as it fails to evoke emotions in the listener. Sung by Sagar and Suchitra, the song Jatha Kalise has all the elements of a typical romantic love song from DSP, but lacks the soul to make impact on listener. Having said that, the song is not bad at all. In fact, it is a breezy number which one wouldn’t mind listening once in a while. But the song certainly lacks the repeat value and fails to stand out in the crowd of similar sounding romantic numbers of DSP.

Charuseela

This might just be THE song of the album. Devi Sri Prasad regains some lost ground with Charuseela which has all the elements of becoming a chartbuster. Sung by DSP himself along with Yazin Nizar, Chaaruseela is a romantic urban dance number which might rule the dance floors in coming days. The song starts with a refreshing guitar riff, followed by techno beats which take over the song. But what stands out in the song is Devi Sri Prasad’s youthful vocals which takes this song to whole new level. So, get ready to party with Mahesh Babu‘s Charuseela!

Srimanthuda

This is another striking track from DSP, which will showcase the other, laid back side of the composer. Srimanthuda is an inspirational and has none of the trademark DSP instruments or elements. But the song stands out due to its simple composition, bordering classical carnatic style of music, sung beautifully by MLR Karthikeyan. Lyrics by Ramajogayya Sastry is thoughtful and uplifting. The only qualms I have from the song is that it is very short.

Jaago

Make way for Raghu Dixit as he comes up with a hard rock number that will be hit among the youngsters. Drum beats and electric guitar welcome you to the song, and just when the tempo is build Raghu Dixit’s edgy vocals take centre stage as he guides this rock number to hearts of music lovers. Jaago is a well composed rock number, sung to perfection by Raghu Dixit, as it perfectly blends his infectious energy to crazy tunes of DSP.

Dhimma Thirigae

The album ends with the quintessential rustic item number, which will appeal to the masses. Dhimma Thirigae benefits immensely from naughty vocals of Geetha Madhuri and raw energy of Simhaa, who make this rustic number worth listening. DSP avoids experimenting with the beats or the tune, as this item number sounds very familiar. Nevertheless, this number will be treat to Mahesh Babu fans.

Verdict: Except for a couple of songs in the album, the rest are easily likable. Devi Sri Prasad has given a decent album for Mahesh Babu, with emphasis on crowd pleasing numbers. However, Srimanthudu lacks that great song that will make the film unforgettable.

National Award-winning Aaranya Kaandam has been honoured with the Audience Award at LIFF 2012

Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff’s first Tamil film, Aaranya Kaandam (Anima and Persona) has won the Western Union Audience Award at the recently concluded London Indian Film Festival 2012. Back home, the movie had garnered the National Film Award for Best First Film for its director, Thiagarajan Kumararaja.Apart from Jackie in the lead, the film stars Yasmin Ponnappa, Sampath Raj and Ravi Krishna, among others. It has been produced by SP Charan’s Capital Film Works.

Director Kumararaja said in a statement: “It’s nice to know that people in Europe loved the film. In fact, people across continents love the film. It also worked with audiences in the US and with the jury at the Indian National Awards. And it is appreciated now in Europe also. I’m thrilled.” Producer Charan said: “I’m happy and proud of Aaranya Kaandam’s success this year. I would like to first of all congratulate London Indian Film Festival on a successful event this year and secondly thank them for such a prestigious honour bestowed on my movie.”

Jackie is doing more films down South now in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. He is playing the role of the main villain in Rajinikanth’s Kochadaiyaan. Jackie is also acting in more Marathi films after starring in Renuka Shahane’s directorial Rita. The actor had done a Bengali film, Antarmahal in 2005. In Bollywood, he will be seen in Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom:3 starring Aamir Khan.